The Path of Giants, B.T. Narro [the speed reading book .TXT] 📗

felt like striking wood, but at least I could see I was hurting him. “The kind of steel that’s going to kill you.”

I swung at him, but it was easy for him to block with his weapon, making me feel all too weak.

He jerked his wrist, threatening to disarm me with inhuman strength, but I held on tightly.

It did take me off my stance, however, as I stumbled over toward my hearth. He swung at my side, forcing me to fall flat to avoid it, as I had no other space available. Then he stabbed at my vulnerable body, but I rolled away.

There was a loud snapping sound as the tip of Valinox’s sword broke off against the stone hearth. Valinox shouted in pain, though the sound was drowned out by the banging against my door as my friends tried to break it down.

I ran for it as I held my sword up to block Valinox swinging at me, but he was too strong. His attack hit my sword and followed through, pushing my weapon against me hard enough to bruise my chest and send me back to the floor.

He stabbed at my closest body part to him, my leg. I couldn’t move away fast enough and yelled out, knowing I was about to be struck, but there wasn’t much of a sharp end to his sword anymore. He did draw blood with his jagged edge, but it was only a flesh wound.

I picked up the tip of his sword right next to me and hurled it at him. It stuck into his lower abdomen. He screamed as he stumbled back, putting his hand over the wound.

I was up by the time he pulled it out. He threw it at me as I ducked. It missed overhead.

I charged him, motioning like I was going to swing. He put up his sword to defend himself, but I spun around him and threw open the lock of my door instead. It was costly, however, as he ran the edge of his blade down my back and gave me a deep cut.

I turned around and ducked as he tried to split my head in half. His sword stuck into the door.

Pain like I’ve never felt emanated from the wound in my back. I tried to ignore it as I swung at him as hard as I could manage with my injuries. He put his good arm down to stop my blade from going deep into his side, so it went deep into his arm instead.

I yanked it free and went for another strike as he shouted out, but he stepped close to me and punched me in my abdomen.

I lost my breath as I fell backward, my sword knocked out of my hands. He had done serious damage, I could tell. I was sure at least one of my ribs was broken.

I couldn’t even speak to tell my peers that the door was unlocked as Valinox ripped his sword out from the door and turned on me. I could barely even move.

But then the door swung open. Michael was the first through. Valinox had just shot a look over his shoulder as Michael tackled him and drove a dagger into his torso.

Valinox rolled with Michael and threw Michael off him in the same motion. Michael soared across the room and hit a wall. He seemed to be concussed as he fell to his hands and knees, wobbling as he tried to get back up.

Reuben and Aliana had charged through right after Michael, but Aliana was busy calling Reuben an idiot as she tried to aim her bow around him, while Reuben was now trying to wrestle the demigod to the ground. Valinox merely grabbed Reuben by his shirt and looked like he was thinking about throwing Reuben headfirst into a wall, but he held the noble boy up in front of Aliana’s aimed arrow instead.

Aliana held. There was a moment when everyone went completely still.

“Don’t shoot!” Reuben yelled as he crossed his arms in front of him.

Valinox tossed Reuben hard into Aliana. I had gotten back on my feet by then, but I was in no shape to fight. It felt like there was a knife caught in my ribs every time I tried to take a breath.

Remi, Hadley, Kataleya, and Eden all cautiously entered, most holding some form of a small knife or dagger. They were slowly creeping toward the demigod as Reuben was helping Aliana up.

“I will kill you, Jon,” Valinox seethed. “But I’ll leave you alive, Eden, until all of this is over. You’re going to watch every last one of them die before I kill you.”

“Don’t you dare think about running, coward,” Reuben said.

Valinox clearly didn’t care what names he was called. He darted for the window. Aliana hurried to ready the arrow that had fallen off her bow when Reuben was thrown into her, but the demigod dove and shattered the glass on his way out. She was too late.

I felt like I could barely see, the pain of my injuries unbearable, but I managed to watch my peers as they ran to the window. Their heads leaned back. They must’ve seen Valinox fly off.

I collapsed. “Hadley,” I wheezed out. “How long is the curse going to last?”

“I don’t know!” she said with a great fear in her voice as she tried unsuccessfully to pick me up. I must’ve looked even worse than I felt. “Help me get him far enough from the curse to use his mana!” she told the other girls. “Hurry!”

Eden, Aliana, Kataleya, and Remi—bless them—did their best to help Hadley carry me out of the room, but they barely made it a few steps down the hallway before I slipped out of their awkward hold and hit the floor.

“It’s not far enough!” Hadley said urgently.

“He so heavy!” Eden complained. “Reuben?” she called.

“I’m helping Michael. Don’t tell me all of you are too weak to move one person!”

“Shut up and get over here!” Kataleya yelled.

Reuben